First female chair elected at DibbsBarker

Hodgman assumed her Chairwoman role on 1 October after the law firm’s most recent partnership vote which also saw partners Paul Schmidt-Uili and Peter Luke appointed as new members of the Board.

She succeeds Andrew Saxton who has been Chairman for the past five years.

“I am delighted to be passing the reins to Emma. She is an outstanding partner of this firm with strong commercial acumen, making her an excellent choice to lead the Board as Chair. I have no doubt she will excel in her new role,” Saxton said of the appointment.

“It is a tremendous honour to have been appointed by my fellow partners and I am delighted to be the first woman to hold the position of Chair of the Board,” Hodgman said.

“I look forward to working closely with the other Board members and playing a key role on the firm’s leadership team as we grow in the months and years to come,” the new Chairwoman continued.

DibbsBarker said Hodgman will continue her practice in commercial litigation and dispute resolution, which includes a focus on the banking and property industries.

A partner in DibbsBarker’s Banking, Insolvency and Disputes group, the new top executive has been with the firm for more than 20 years. She was promoted to partner in 2001 and in subsequent years, she held two management positions: a member of the Board and leader of the Disputes group.

Hodgman is an accredited mediator with LEADR and a member of three key associations in her field – Financial Services Institute of Australasia (FINSIA), Women’s Insolvency Network Australia (WINA) and the Resolution Institute. Emma also holds a Masters in Management and Law.

“On behalf of the partnership, I extend great thanks to our outgoing Board members and my warmest congratulations to those who have been newly appointed. With DibbsBarker’s new Melbourne office set to open on 1 December, this is a very exciting time for the firm,” said the firm’s Stephen Purcell of the appointment.

“I’m thrilled to have a strong Board in place that will, under Emma’s leadership, help to drive the firm’s strategy forward,” the DibbsBarker’s managing partner added.

Hodgman’s appointment as Chairwoman is reflective of the strong commitment to gender diversity at the firm where half of the practice group leaders are women, said DibbsBarker.